[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 17, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 THE STEENS MOUNTAIN COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION ACT OF 2000

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                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 17, 2000

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my 
colleagues two letters I received concerning the Steens Mountain 
Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (H.R. 4828) that was 
debated on the House Floor on October 4, 2000.
  House Resolution 4828 was supported by the entire Oregon 
congressional delegation and is the product of a long and hard-fought 
battle to ensure that there was an Oregon solution to an Oregon issue. 
I submit the following letters into the Congressional Record.

                                      The Wilderness Society's

                                         Wilderness Support Center
       Dear Congressman Walden: Although this bill does not 
     contain everything we wanted, we believe that this is a 
     responsible resolution of a very important issue. This bill 
     will grant lasting protection for the wildlands, wildlife, 
     and waters of the magnificent Steens Mountain region. We 
     support its passage today.
                                                     Bart Koehler,
                                                         Director.

                                  ____
                                  

     Recreation Service Providers on Steens Mountain--
       The outfitting and guiding industry has been in existence 
     on a small scale and in a variety of ways on Steens Mountain 
     since the early days of trappers and military scouts. From 
     the early 1900's until the early 1960's outfitters, 
     particularly homesteader Chester Nye and partner Paul Howard, 
     primarily offered hunting and fishing trips to the very 
     wealthy into the inaccessible backcountry of the Steens. The 
     completion of the Steens Mountain Loop Road opened up all of 
     the hunting areas that Nye and Howard depended upon for their 
     enterprise and consequently put them out of business. Shortly 
     after during the mid-1970's, the homestead known as the Nye 
     Place consisting of several guest cabins and a cookhouse on 
     the rim of the Little Blitzen Gorge and which Nye and Howard 
     had used was taken over by Velty Pruitt and his summer camp 
     for girls.
       From that time until now, outfitters and guides, otherwise 
     known as recreational service providers, have continually 
     modified the services they offer based on the needs and 
     demands of the outfitted public using Steens Mountain. 
     Currently, Steens Mountain has eight permitted outfitters 
     operating on both public and private lands providing a wide 
     range of recreational services. These current and historical 
     uses include: cross-country high-altitude running training, 
     big game hunting, upland bird hunting, fishing and heli-
     fishing, multiple day horse packing, trail riding, multiple 
     day llama packing, backpacking, day hiking, mountain biking, 
     ATV touring, van/pickup tours, snowmobiling, cross-country 
     and backcountry skiing with and without motorized support 
     (snow machine or helicopter), snow shoeing, and snowcat 
     touring. With all of these activities, many service providers 
     include interpretive and educational information to their 
     programs, and/or use these various modes of transportation or 
     travel to provide interpretive and educational services. 
     Additionally, a number of the permitted recreation service 
     providers have historically conducted activities on private 
     lands that may be transferred into public ownership through 
     this legislation. All of these uses are considered current 
     and historical uses and fall under the purpose of promoting 
     viable recreation operations on Steens Mountain.
       It should be noted that while there are thousands of places 
     to go in the United States to engage in outdoor recreation, 
     Steens Mountain is a unique natural attraction and is the 
     chosen vacation destination for nearly 100 percent of the 
     56,000 people currently coming to the region. In fact 
     beginning in 1975, the Bureau of Land Management began 
     tracking visitor numbers of those using the Steens Mountain 
     Loop Road. these visitor numbers have increased over 278 
     percent since 1975, and with a new designation will likely 
     continue to increase. There will no doubt be a corresponding 
     growth in the numbers of the outfitted public seeking 
     experiences with the permitted recreation service providers 
     on the Steens. As part of ensuring the viability of the 
     recreation operations on Steens Mountain which is a purpose 
     of this legislation, these permitted recreation service 
     providers should be allowed to meet the growth and additional 
     needs of the outfitted public within the current and historic 
     activities they provide.
       Further most outfitters, pre-legislation, have invested a 
     great deal into their recreation service operations and 
     public land permits to provide services to the public. Some 
     of the investments are recent and substantial. Because of 
     this the operators may not have had time to realizes a return 
     on these investments. One example of this, and there are 
     many, is Steens Mountain Packers helicopter supported 
     activities particularly the backcountry ski heli-supported 
     program. A great deal of time and money went into the 
     exploration of the Steens to provide a compatible and safe 
     service to the public. The legislation, designation and 
     future management thereof may terminate the operators 
     opportunity to recoup investments with the possible 
     termination of the activity within a given area, such as 
     wilderness. In staying in conformance with the purpose of the 
     Act, the operator should be appropriately compensated for the 
     loss of revenue from the activity, or exchanged for a 
     reasonable like permit. Because of the uniqueness of the 
     area, a like opportunity may be difficult to provide. It 
     should be noted that an opportunity or permit entirely 
     outside of the area may well not be considered a reasonable 
     option (e.g.--a permit in Catlow Valley would not necessarily 
     be a reasonable alternative to an existing permit within the 
     Blitzen Gorge, nor a permit in Idaho as an alternative to a 
     permit on Steens Mountain.).
                                             John and Cindy Witzel
                                               Frenchglen, Oregon.

     

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